I’ve got 8 picks for UFC 185 that should help you put together a strong Fantasy MMA team for
DraftKings and Kountermove.
My strategy for winning at Fantasy MMA involves picking guys who have the best chance of winning inside the distance, which means my picks don’t necessarily reflect who I believe has the best chance of winning the fight. This might sound counter productive, but you need guys who can win inside the distance in order to finish in the top places of Fantasy MMA tournaments. This is because fighters who win their fights inside the distance score a very high number of points.
Click here for more information on how you can use my Fantasy MMA picks to win big money playing Fantasy MMA at
DraftKings and Kountermove.
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TOP PICKS
ELIAS THEODOROU
COST: HIGH
Elias Theodorou is better than Roger Narvaez in every single aspect of MMA and he should be able to win this fight inside the distance or at the very least cruise to a unanimous decision victory.
Narvaez has home advantage on his side, but that’s about the only advantage that he does have over Theodorou. I expect Theodorou to dominate this fight and score a good number of points for your Fantasy MMA team.
DARON CRUICKSHANK
COST: MEDIUM
Cruickshank missed weight and this fight is close on paper, but Cruickshank has devastating knockout kicks and Dariush is an inexperienced fighter with poor striking defence.
Cruickshank knocked down Jorge Masvidal in one of his most recent fights, which isn’t easy to do. If Cruickshank can knock down guys like that, he can certainly knock down Dariush.
I’m not sure if Daron Cruickshank is going to win this fight, but he’s a good addition to your Fantasy MMA team because he doesn’t cost that much and he has the potential to score you big points by knocking Dariush out.
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SAFE PICKS
CARLA ESPARZA
COST: MEDIUM
Carla Esparza may have looked undersized standing face to face with Joanna Jedrzejczyk at the UFC 185 weigh-ins, but looks can be deceiving. Carla actually has an incredible wingspan, which means that there’s only a 2 inch reach differential between these two fighters, despite the fact that Joanna looks much taller. This means that Carla won’t be too vulnerable in the stand up exchanges, whilst her compact frame should enable her to get underneath Joanna and secure takedowns.
Joanna is tough, so it’s unlikely Esparza will win this fight inside in the distance, but there’s a really good chance that Carla still scores a good number of points by repeatedly taking Joanna down and cruising to a unanimous decision win.
I feel that Carla is one of the safest picks at UFC 185 and since she doesn’t cost that much, you should definitely think about adding her to your Fantasy MMA team.
ROSS PEARSON
COST: MEDIUM
Ross Pearson is tough, well rounded and aggressive and it’s difficult to see a way that he could lose this fight. I expect Pearson to outstrike Stout and cruise to a unanimous decision victory. It’s also possible that Pearson could score big points for your Fantasy MMA team by winning this fight by knockout.
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DANGEROUS DOGS
MATT BROWN
COST: LOW
Johny Hendricks is the rightful favourite against Matt Brown, but Brown is dangerous from every position and Hendricks has never fought anyone who is going to push him as hard as Brown will.
Matt Brown has the ability to finish Hendricks inside the distance and score big points. He doesn’t cost that much and you should seriously consider putting him in your Fantasy MMA team.
ROY NELSON
COST: LOW
Roy Nelson has devastating knockout power, which means he could score you big points if he knocks Alistair Overeem out in the first round. At a relatively low cost, you should seriously consider putting Roy Nelson into your Fantasy MMA team because you’re going to score big points if he knocks Overeem out in the first round.
JOSH COPELAND
COST: LOW
Jared Rosholt has elite wrestling and home advantage on his side, but if he can’t take Josh Copeland down, this fight is going to get really interesting, really quick.
Copeland is incredibly powerful and incredibly dangerous and he always starts fast. He’s got good cardio for a Heavyweight and he’s roughly 20 pounds heavier than Rosholt. Rosholt suffered a devastating knockout loss in his last fight and Copeland has big knockout power. I feel there’s a good chance that Copeland can win this fight by knockout and if he can keep the fight standing, this is going to be a tough fight for Rosholt.
GERMAINE DE RANDAMIE
COST: LOW
Larissa Pacheco looked terrible in her UFC debut and she’s only ever fought a very low level of opposition despite having an impressive pro MMA record of 10-1.
Germaine de Randamie is a former professional kickboxer, with an impressive record of 37-0. Pacheco has poor striking defence and she’s in big trouble if de Randamie can keep this fight standing.
I feel there’s a very good chance that Germaine de Randamie could score big points by winning this fight by knockout or TKO.
